I think you should be alright in all honesty if that fish stayed cool the whole time …you surely will be able to notice by the smell of it …I would gut it as soon as it’s defrosted enough to cut it ….
Have you ever tried starting from the spine and working toward the belly eliminating gutting completely ?
Yeah, no gutting or scaling anymore. Start along the spine on one side and filet that side and turn it over and do the other one. Then you lay the filet skin side down and run the knife under the meat and along the skin and you’re set.
I didn’t go into detail because you can google: fastest way to clean a ? (?=whatever fish you have… some are treated different).
Since you’re on Hawaii, @cannabissequoia, you should find a tourist charter boat operation and go down to the docks when they come in in the afternoon. There you can watch the locals that work at the dock clean all of the fish for the tourists to bag and take home. It’s like a Samurai on steroids. Caution!!: You don’t have to do it that fast, lol, you’ll cut your hand off. But, it is entertaining.
Seriously, Google how to filet any particular fish and watch a few videos. Some methods are much better than others. peace
Oh, and I do bag all of my fish parts and freeze them so I can make some fish emulsion some day. I’ve buried them kn compost piles, too, but you better get it covered good. Coons and anything will dig it up.
Perfectly executed!
I got the ol board with a nail in it serves its purpose
Recently learned a new technique for bullhead !
Must be like doing a catfish or eel. Peeling the skin off when nailed to a tree?
I actually DID watch 2 youtubers before doing it. I used a 4" paring knife & that’s part of the problem.
Identifying fish in Hawaii is a m’fer for this mainlander… there’s so many subspecies & the Govt. fish guide is in black & white, with Hawaiian names… 
Basically useless 
Rock sinkers are a looooot cheaper… 
You can’t post pics like that until at least October, yes you have a problem…LOL probably smoke the devils lettuce while your in that pop up man cave…HMMMM Yeah there’s lots of us I have to finish the ice shanty paint job this year, Wasps used the hut to build themselves a home, Dr Doom to the rescue LOL. We’re supposed to have an early start this winter BTW Cheers
Those carp put up a good fight. 
Santa Cruz was dead af today. Used frozen squid and caught a few rock fish and used them for live bait and NOTHING
Sure beats sitting in an office, fish or no.
Catching>Fishing>Working
You have your priorities in the right order.
3d printed fishing lure, going to get an airbrush set to paint these, but I colored this one with sharpie just to see.
Nice bass.
I believe you did.
